San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-05

a smOOth-shaypn poll. | was walking
along. sometimes squeezed up against a
wall by gTOaning camel. sometimes
stumbling into hole in the abomina-
BILE street, or rather lane, when | heard
myself hailed
ali! Captain Raven!"
Il looked round and up. but | could
see nobody. But in twinkling door
close to me opened, and man in Euro
pean dress flew at me, threw his arms
round my neck and kissed me. You
may guess how astonished and put out
/ felt. Now, who do you think it was?
You remember the bOnny little German
doctor that sailed with me when was
in the Baltic and Archangel trade, and
that brought home with me to see you
about two years agoY Well, it was he
Herr Benigsen"
What the deuce" cried, staring at
him-"what the deuce are you doing
here?"
"Me," said he. why not | as well as
your" But said he, come in here with
me. or we shall be trOdden to death"
81 went in with him, but only for
minute: because, as | told him; my
businessman, a Moorish Jew, would
be waiting for me-"
1T is Moses Secsu. know" said he.
lie noticed that | stared, and he said,
"MOses does nearly all this trade you're
in-I know you bring grain from Alex
andria. Moses told me; he is of my re-
iigiOn; know him well. Now you will
60 on with the man that was guiding
you, and | will come at once-at once,
my dear friend, and we shall have a
big talk"
Secsu. There was not much to be done
except to arrange about the unlading.
And / was very glad Secsu Ia fine man
for a Jew took the trouble of it off my
hands, for this Tangier is beast of a
place to unload cargo in; there's no
harbor, no pier-everything has to be
beached. (There was fine pier-a
mole Once-you can see the ruins of it
in the water. built by US English when
we possessed TangiCr two hundred or
so years ago; but when we vacated the
town we performed fine dOg-in-the-
manger trick worthy of the blessed
memory of King Charles the Second
we pulled the mole to pieces, and now
we suffer more from its loss than any
other people.) Well, had just about
finished, when in comes Benigsen. We
had breakfast with the Secsu family,
consisting of the father and mother;
clever, bright boy of II, who speaks
English, and two fine daughters with
fine eyes that look upon you in most
comforting manner. The house had a
central court with fountain in the
middle, and flowers in pots in the En-
glish fashion, and veranda all round.
We went out and sat to take coffee, and
to smoke and talk. Now note me; per-
haps have wearied you little with
my yarn up to this, but the gist of it
is coming now.
"But tell me, Doctor" l said to Be
nigsen show it is that 1 find you in
Tangier? When you left my ship you
were going to settle down to practice
your profession at home in Bavaria,
and find you practicing-I don't know
what-in Morocco. How comes that
about"
"Ah, my dear friend" said he, Il did
say that. But when l got to Munich l
could not rest. My father dead, my
mother dead, my sister dead-al my
family dead except myself. l became
very low-spirited. happened to read
the travels of DIR. Gerhard Rohlfs in
MOrocco-dO you know the boOk?-and
when | heard that my religiOnistS in
L
came to this country like ROhlfs, with
only little money in my purse, but my
friends here"
"Pray." said Secsu, "telI the illus
triOus gentleman, your friend, the story
you have to tell, and linger not upon
trihes."
well" said Benigsen, 81 inquired
about the best way of getting right in
to this wonderful country, and l was
told by everybody that l must become
Mahometan: III fdld rdser la tete." Be
ing Jew, could pass for Mahometan
quicker than others if l learned the
language and shaved the head. lived
here with Secsu for six months, and
learned the MOghrebbin, and practiced
my profession among my people; and
then set out dressed like Moor, with
a caravan for Fez."
when was that?" l asked.
, "A year ago last April, he answered.
at was all new and beautiful to me to
ride along roads that were no roads; to
be Joined on the way by strangers in
their beautiful Moorish dress on horses
or mules, with wonderful things to tell
and to ask, and to be passed by the 81
lent cavalcade of the harem of an Arab
Sheikh of the plains, all swathed from
view, or by dashing band of horse
men with white flowing haiks-"
what is haiku" l asked.
THAT white bit of stuff you see the
MOOrs wrap about their necks and
shoulders, and cover their heads with.
l expected to see them all wearing tur-
bans, but they don't wear the turban
much"
Now, that mention of turbans set
mo off anH I aCEnl him tTln Won auar
happen to see green turbans about these
parts?'
"Very seldom" said he, "and 1 hope
may never see another"
"My curiosity was reused, as you
may guess. thinking of Charlotte, and
asked, Why? Are you frightened of
a green turbanY
"NOt frightened; but a green turban
by its sight will make me turn nauseOus
to the end of my life; for l never was so
near death as when last saw one. You
wish to hear about that? After visit
ing Fee and Eeknez, l thought should
like to do as Rohlfs did, and visit Waz-
an, the Sacred City, before the rainy
season set in. | set out for MeneZ in
the company of a Jewish merchant, and
after some distance joined a cavalcade
of pilgrims from Tafflet, beyond the
Atlas, who were travelling to WaZan to
see the Grand Shereef, to kiss his hand
and be cured by his touch. They were
a wild company, and l do confess was
from the first afraid of them. On the
third day had reason. had fingered
behind to examine plant that looked
like cactus, when / was set upon by
three of them and stripped of every
thing except nv shirt and slippers: nv